Gravity roof ventilator



Feb. 9, 1960 s. DOHERTY 2,924,165

GRAVITY ROOF VENTILATOR Filed June 10, 1957 United States Patent F GRAVITY ROOF VENTILATQR Lewis S. Doherty, Baton Rouge, La.

Application June 10, 1957, Serial No. 664,851.

7 Claims. (CI. 98-42) This invention relates to a gravity roof ventilator which is efiicient and also serves as a skylight. The. main ob.- jects of this invention are,

First, to provide a combined gravity roof ventilator and skylight which is welladapted'for use in air conditioned buildings which require means of escape for the excess air.

Second, to provide a gravity roof ventilator which is efiici'ent under varyingwind conditions.

Third, to provide a gravity roof ventilator which may be preassembled and installed on a roof curb as a unit.

Objects relating to details and economies of the-inventionwill appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in. the accompanying drawing,.in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary view in vertical central section on a line corresponding to line 1-1 of Fig. 2, of a gravity roof ventilator embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the ventilator unit.

In the accompanying drawing 1 represents the slab of a roof and 2 the curb thereof. The embodiment of my invention illustrated comprises the circular base plate 3 having a downwardly and outwardly flaring peripheral flange 4 of substantial width. The base plate has downwardly projecting curb-engaging members 5 and a central draft opening 6 surrounded by the upwardly projecting and inwardly converging flange 7. The transparent dome 8 is desirably formed of plastic and is spherically curved and of a cross sectional diameter approximating the diameter of the base plate at the inner edge of the flange thereof.

The dome is mounted on the base plate by means of the strap-like "brackets 9 having inturned flanges 10 at their lower end secured to the base plate as by the rivets 11 and tip portions 12 disposed at an angle to fit within the dome and secured thereto by the bolts 13. The dome is otherwise unobstructed. It is positioned with its lower edge 14 in the plane or approximately to the plane of the upper edge of the flange 7. The dome is supported so that air may circulate freely around the discharge flange 7 as a result of gravity flow from the ventilator or as a result of wind or draft conditions across the roof, and there is little likelihood of a down draft resulting or occurring under widely varying wind conditions.

Roof ventilators embodying my invention are well adapted for use in air conditioned buildings, in which it is quite a general practice to associate gravity ventilators with bathrooms. The ventilator, when provided with a transparent dome, serves the double purpose of a gravity ventilator and a skylight. Another advantage of the structure is that the ventilator is inconspicuous when installed on the roof and it may be very quickly installed as a unit.

I have not illustrated or described the various embodiments and adaptations possible, as believed that this 2,924,165 Patented Feb. 9, 1960 disclosure will enable thoseskilled in the art to modify or adapt my invention, to particular roof structures and space to be ventilated.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as newand is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A roof ventilator comprising a circular base plate dimensioned for the supported positioning thereof on a roof curb to project laterally therefrom and provided with a downwardly projecting flange at its outer edge and with downwardly projecting curb engaging members engageable within a curb and acting to prevent lateral shifting of the base plate thereon, said base plate having a central. draft opening therein surrounded by an upwardly projecting upwardly tapering flange-like draft passage member, a. spherical dome of a diameter approximating that of the base plate disposed in vertically spaced relation to the upper end of said, passage member, the upper edge. of said passage. member being in substantially the plane of the outer edge of said dome, and angularly spaced relatively narrow strap-like supporting brackets for said dome mounted. on said base plate adjacent the outer edge thereof and secured at their upper ends to said dome adjacent the edge thereof, the space between said draft passage. member and said dome being unobstructed.

2. A roof ventilator comprising a circular base plate dimensioned for the supported positioning thereof on a roof curb to project laterally therefrom and provided with downwardly projecting curb engaging members engageable within a curb and acting toprevent lateral shifting of the base plate thereon, said base plate having a central draft opening therein surrounded by an upwardly projecting flange-like draft passage member, a spherical dome of a diameter approximating that of the base plate disposed in vertically spaced relation to the upper end of said passage member, the upper edge of said passage member being in substantially the plane of the outer edge of said dome, and brackets for said dome mounted on said base plate and secured at their upper ends to said dome adjacent the outer edge thereof, Without substantial obstruction of air between the base plate and dome, the space between said draft passage member and said dome being unobstructed.

3. A roof ventilator comprising a base plate dimensioned to be supportedly positioned on a roof curb to project laterally therefrom and provided with downwardly projecting curb engaging means acting to prevent lateral shifting movement of the base plate on a curb on which it is positioned, said base plate having an upwardly projecting upwardly tapering draft passage member disposed centrally thereof and opening to the curb on which the base plate is positioned, and a spherically curved dome of a diameter substantially exceeding that of said draft member mounted on said base plate with its lower edge in approximately the plane of the upper end of said draft member and radially spaced therefrom, the upper end of said passage member being substantially spaced from the dome both vertically and laterally and discharging centrally thereof, the dome being free from interior obstructions so that air currents may flow from or under said dome in any lateral direction without impedance.

4. A roof ventilator comprising a base plate dimensioned to be supportedly positioned on a roof curb and provided with downwardly projecting curb engaging means acting to prevent lateral shifting movement of the base plate on a curb on which it is positioned, said base plate having an upwardly projecting flange-like conduit member disposed centrally thereof and opening to the curb on which the base plate is positioned, and a curved dome of a diameter substantially exceeding that of said draft member mounted on said base plate with its lower edge in spaced relationto said base plate and a'nnularly spaced from the open upper end of said conduit member, the upper end of said conduit member being ,substant1ally spaced from the'dome and discharging centrally thereof. 5

members engageable with a curb to prevent the lateral shifting of the base plate thereon, said base plate having a central draft opening therein surrounded by a tubular V upwardly projecting flange-like passage member, a spherically curved dome of a diameter approximating that of i the base plate, the upper edge of said passagemember being in substantially the plane of the outer edge of said dome and vertically spaced therefrom, and angularly spaced supporting brackets for said dome mounted on said base plate with their upper ends in supporting engagementwith said dome at the outer edge thereof, the dome being :llllobsi-mtedspace between said draft passage member and said dome and said dome and said base member being unobstructed for the flow of air between them.

6. A combined roof ventilator and skylight comprising a base plate dimensioned for the supported positioning of substantial width and having a central draft opening surrounded by a tubular upwardly projecting flange-like passage member, a dome of a diameter substantially exceeding that of said passage member, the upper edge of said passage member being disposed centrally of and vertically spaced froni sa id dome, and angularly spaced supporting brackets for said dome mounted on said base 1 plate in supporting engagement with said dome at the outer edge thereof, the space between said draft passage member and said dome being unobstructed.

7. A combined roof ventilator and skylight comprising a base plate dimensioned for the supported positioning thereof upon a roof curb, a'nd 'h'a'vi'ng downwardly projecting curb engaging members engageablewith a curb to prevent the lateral'shifting of the base plate thereon, said base plate having; a central draft opening surrounded by 1 a tubularupwardly projecting flange-like passage emher, a dome of a diametersubstantially exceeding said passage member, the-upper; edge 10f said passage member being disposed centrally of and vertically spaced from said dome, and angularly spaced supporting brackets for said dome mounted on said base plate in supporting e emen -w aid ,dqm a t e tqut ed e her f,

' the space between said draft passage member and raumas Cited the file of thisfpat hfl r UNITED STATES PaTnuTs 3 1,129,053 1,547,916 Hoffman July 2a, 1925 2,610,593 Wasserman Sept. 1 16, 1952 2,638,835 Strawsine May-19, 1953 2,806,419, -Artis Sept. 17,1957 1 2,824,507 Alldritt Febtzs, a 2,826,136 Smithj......' Mar. 11, 1958;

, FOREIGN PATENTS 517,267 Germany Feb. 3,1931

at of Addis Feb. 25, 1915 

